Each year, USC programs and faculty research are highlighted in print, broadcast and online stories throughout the world. Highlights of recent news coverage are compiled by USC Media Relations.
USC in the News 10/16/2012
BBC (U.K.) featured Manuel Castells of the USC Annenberg School, who was interviewed at the London School of Economics. Castells discussed his concept of the “network society” and how it has spurred non-capitalist forms of economic behavior. “We’re seeing barter networks, social currencies, co-operatives,” Castells said. “Networks of providing services for free to others in the expectation people will do the same for you. This new sector in the economy is expanding throughout the world.”
Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed about the life and career of the late Norman Corwin, who was professor emeritus at the USC Annenberg School and was known as the “poet laureate of radio.” “Generations ahead of ours will discover his work and delight in it, and think, as we now do of people like Mark Twain, ‘Oh, I wish I had known him,’” the column stated. This past weekend there was a memorial for Corwin, attended by Geoffrey Cowan of the USC Annenberg School and Norman Lear, benefactor of the USC Annneberg School’s Norman Lear Center.
American Public Media’s “The Story” featured Thomas Ward of the USC Dornsife College and his research on the MS-13 street gang. In his new book, “Gangsters Without Borders: An Ethnography of a Salvadoran Street Gang,” Ward details the process of earning the gang members’ trust so that he could learn about them and their culture. “I played many different roles, and different gang members saw me in different ways,” Ward said. “For some, I gave them rides; others, it was contacts with lawyers. And some saw me as confidante — I became almost like a priest/confessor.”
VentureBeat featured the newly updated mobile apps used in the USC Rossier School and USC School of Social Work online graduate degree programs. Both programs were designed by tech company 2tor. The story reported that after two years, these USC online programs now have roughly 2,500 graduates across 40 countries. The mobile apps allow students to access course information on their phones.
Agence-France Presse featured research by USC graduate student Mona Sobhani with Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Glenn Foxx and Jonas Kaplan of the USC Dornsife College, finding that whether we like someone or not affects how our brain works. “Even something as basic as how we process visual stimuli of a movement is modulated by social factors, such as our interpersonal relationships and social group membership,” Sobhani said. The work was also covered by Press Trust of India (India), RT (Russia) and Die Presse (Austria).
KPCC-FM featured a partnership between USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute and the L.A. Philharmonic to study the impact of music on children’s brains. “Is it, for example, something that adds to the development, that increases the ability of children to be more socially well-tuned?” said Antonio Damasio of the USC Dornsife College. Assal Habibi of the USC Dornsife College said that the study will examine music’s role in children’s emotional and social development.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted a presentation by Suzanne Houston of the Keck School of USC, finding that different parts of the brain can be affected by growing up in different kinds of homes. “We found higher parent education, smaller amygdala,” Houston said. “The higher the income, the larger the hippocampus.”
ABC News interviewed Francine Kaufman of the Keck School of USC about a study finding that sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain.
U.S. News & World Report cited Keith Vaughn, assistant dean of MBA admissions at the USC Marshall School, about the biggest mistakes MBA applicants make.
Fox News interviewed Gordon Stables of the USC Annenberg School about a confrontation between congressional candidates Howard Berman and Brad Sherman.
Associated Press interviewed Nicholas Warner of the USC Dornsife College about the physics surrounding daredevil Felix Baumgartner’s historic freefall.
American Public Media’s “Marketplace” interviewed Bonnie Reis, global director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, about California’s climate change law.
NPR News’ “Science Friday” interviewed David Agus of the Keck School of USC about the 2012 Nobel Prize winners for pioneering science.
Politico quoted Edward Kleinbard of the USC Gould School about the impact of reducing individual and corporate tax rates.
Minnesota Public Radio interviewed Thomas Hicklin of the Keck School of USC about whether suicide risk is greater for people who know someone who committed suicide.
KQED-FM interviewed Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about support for Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30.
The Bakersfield Californian quoted Cynthia Herrington of the Keck School of USC about a young patient on whom she performed a successful heart transplant.
LiveScience quoted Caleb Finch of the USC Davis School about the limits of human lifespan.
The Wall Street Journal mentioned research on how workers react to images of bosses, conducted by scholar Sook-Lei Liew while a graduate student at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute and the Ostrow School of USC.
Las Vegas Review-Journal highlighted an election-themed discussion with journalists Frank Rich and Fran Lebowitz, organized by Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative. LAist also highlighted the event.
The Huffington Post cited the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll finding that 44 percent of voters are apposed to Proposition 32.
Science Codex reported that Parag Mallick and David Agus of the Keck School of USC helped develop software that facilitates large-scale biological inquiry.
The Sacramento Bee mentioned that the USC Price School is hosting a presidential debate viewing party, followed by a discussion with Janet Denhardt of the USC Price School.
Spin mentioned that Josh Kun of the USC Annenberg School moderated a discussion between musicians David Byrne and Trent Reznor.
KFYI-AM mentioned a National Endowment for the Arts grant to support the development of a video game designed by Tracy Fullerton of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
MinnPost highlighted a lecture by James Kincaid of the USC Dornsife College titled “Great Expectations and Death.”
Los Angeles Times stated that Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol has struck up a friendship with David Skaggs of the Keck School of USC and has done charitable work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The Huffington Post ran a column in which the author praised the Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center doctors and nurses who treated her partner.
L.A. Weekly mentioned USC was included in a list of local universities.
The Record ran a story by the California HealthCare Foundation Center for Health Reporting, which is spearheaded by the USC Annenberg School.